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(11) | EP 1 610 648 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
SOFA BED AND ITS OPEN-CLOSE MECHANISM SOFABETT UND DESSEN ÖFFNUNGS- BZW. SCHLIESSMECHANISMUS CANAPE-LIT ET SON MECANISME D'OUVERTURE ET DE FERMETURE |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
Technical field
[0001] The present invention relates to a sofa bed and its open-close mechanism. As known, a sofa bed comprises an almost parallelepiped frame structure, which forms an internal containment area for bedding storage, and a number of movable frames, bound together. These frames move according to roto-translating motions from the close to open position. In the close position, the frames fold up to keep the mattress folded in a number of pieces and stored in the area created by the fixed structure; in the open position, the movable frames are consecutively aligned, outside of said volume and define a rest surface. These movements are made possible thanks to one or more mechanisms interposed between the fixed structure and the movable frames.
[0002] Up to now, various types of similar mechanisms with at least three movable frames have been developed and many state-of-the-art mechanisms easily converts the sofa into a bed without having to remove any of the cushions. The present applicant has already described and claimed a similar product in the Italian patent application BA01A000005. A further Sofa bed is described in EP1190649.
[0003] Despite the technical progress made, the known applications show still several disadvantages. The largest limitation of the known mechanisms is the risk of accidental closing. In fact, when in bed position, should the user be seated close to the hinged joint between the frame (2) and the adiacent frame (3), both in Fig. 1, an accidental closing of the bed may occur.
Disclosure of the invention
[0004] The invention solves the technical problem identified above by means of the features of claim 1. In this way, the problem of accidental closing of the bed has been solved.
[0005] According to a subsequent aim, the invention is capable of moving the seat cushion by means of only two additional elements.
[0006] Furthermore said mechanism has one degree of freedom only and open and closes in one movement without removing seat and back cushions (21) and (19).
[0007] These and other advantages will be pointed out in the detailed description of the invention that will refer to the figures of tables 1/2 and 2/2 in which an examplifying and not restrictive embodiment of the invention has been carried out.
Way of carrying out the invention
[0008] With reference to the above mentioned tables:
● Fig. 1 shows the sofa-bed structure in the "bed" position;
● Fig. 2 shows an axonometric view of the same sofa bed;
● Figs 3, 4 and 5 show three consecutive steps of the sofa bed open operation;
● Finally, Fig. 6 shows a detail of the frame in the "bed" position.
[0009] With reference to the previous figures, the mafore-entioned goals were met thanks to a sofa bed comprising a driving mechanism, positioned between each/a frame and the following one. Said mechanism has synchronization tools to move the movable frames from the close to open position, and viceversa, in one movement only.
[0010] The sofa bed (Fig. 2) is identified with the number/reference (11), while the fixed structure with (7). The frame structure has an almost parallelepiped shaped, which forms an internal containment area and is composed of several frames. Among such frames, at least one acts as a support for the back cushions.
[0011] The fixed structure (7) defines an internal containment area (14), inside which the movable frames, bound one with the other, fold up to convert the sofa bed in the sitting position. Then, said movable frames can switch from close to open position (see the sequence in Figs. 3, 4 and 5), provided that they are aligned, forming a rest surface, numbered with (15).
[0012] The present mechanism, numbered with (10), comprises synchronization tools, interposed between the movable frames, to move the frames from the close to open position (see again the sequence in Figs. 3, 4 and 5), and viceversa, in one movement. It comprises a quadrilateral (16), a quadrilateral (12) and a quadrilateral (17). The lifting and opening system of said mechanism is provided by the quadrilaterals (16) and (12), and by springs (not shown in the figures) to facilitate the operation. In particular, a first retain elastic mean is interposed between the lever (6) and the lever (1), while between the lever (1) and the fixed structure (7) is interposed a second retain elastic mean. Said elastic means can also be positioned on those elements fastened to elements (6), (2) and (7). The quadrilateral (12) provides the headrest (2) in the bed configuration, while, in the sitting configuration, said headrest is vertical. The quadrilateral (16) moves synchronically the rest of the mechanism by means of levers (8) and (9) hinged to the fixed structure (7). As an alternative to it, the lifting of said mechanism can also be obtained by means of two simple quadrilaterals (not shown in the figures), one end of each one is hinged to the fixed structure (7), and the other end is hinged to the frame (2). The two quadrilaterals are joined together by means of a lever, which makes synchronous their motion. Said quadrilaterals determine the vertical translation of the frame (2), from bottom up during the opening, from top down during the closing.
[0013] Finally, the quadrilateral (17), shown in Fig. 6, comprising the levers (4), (5), part of lever (25) and part of lever (23), moves the sliding system of the seat cushions (21).
[0014] Beside the conversion from sofa to bed, and viceversa, the mechanism has been also designed to perform a particular trajectory. Following this trajectory the mechanism reaches a height above the ground that makes itself manageable, as one can see in Fig. 4. The strong point of this new mechanism is (Fig. 1) the fact that the lever (1) is hinged in the joint (2') between the headrest frame (2) and the central frame (3). From a functional point of view, it solves the problem of accidental closing of the bed. In fact, in known mechanisms, the lever (1) is hinged on the headrest frame (2); consequently, accidental closing may occur when te user is seated close to the hinged joint (2') between the headrest frame (2) and the adiacent frame (3). Another strong point of this mechanism is the movement of the seat cushions (21) by means of only two additional elements. The addition of elements (4) and (5) creates an easy system based on an articulated quadrilateral (17). An additional feature of the mechanism is that the lever (6) can have five holes (as in the embodiment of Fig. 1), or four holes an be bolted directly to the fixed structure (7). In the case of a 5-hole lever, the lever (6) being hinged to the levers (8) and (9) performs a roto-translation. In the four holes configuration, the lever (6), instead of roto-translating, can rotate around a point fixed with respct to the fixed structure (7). This means the elimation of the levers (8) and (9).
1. Mechanism for sofa bed and similar products, comprising a number of articulated quadrilaterals
and synchronization tools, in particular, comprising a quadrilateral (16), a quadrilateral
(12) and a quadrilateral (17) and characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one lever (1) having an end hinged to the joint
(2'), which also connects the headrest frame (2), with the adjacent frame (3), while
the other lever end is directly hinged to the fixed structure (7) or to any element
fastened to said fixed structure (7).
2. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a first retain elastic mean is interposed between the lever (6) and
the lever (1), while between the lever (1) and the fixed structure (7) is interposed
a second retain elastic mean.
3. Mechanism according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that said elastic means can also be positioned on the elements bound to
elements (6), (2) and (7).
4. Mechanism according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that said quadrilateral (16) comprises a 5-hole lever (6), hinged to the
levers (8) and (9), having roto-translative motion.
5. Mechanism according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that said quadrilateral (16) comprises a 4-hole lever (6), directly hinged
to the fixed structure (7), with rotatory motion around a point fixed with respect
to the fixed structure (7).
6. Mechanism according to at least one of the claims from 1 to 5, characterized by the fact that said quadrilateral (17) moves the sliding system of the seat cushions
(21).
7. Mechanism according to the claim 6, characterized by the fact that said quadrilateral (17) moves the seat cushion (21) by means of only
two additional elements (4) and (5).
8. Mechanism according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that said lever (4) has at least three holes, one of them hinges a frame,
upon which the seat cushions (21) are placed.
9. Sofa bed comprising an almost parallelepiped frame structure; a number of movable
frames, bound together, that move according to roto-translating motions from the close
to open position, wherein in the closing position said frames are sequentially folded
up, while in the open position, are consecutively aligned, characterized in that it uses a mechanism according to at least one of the previous claims.
1. Mechanismus für Sofabetten und ähnliche Produkte, umfassend eine Anzahl von Vierecken
und Synchronisationsmitteln, insbesondere ein Viereck (16), ein Viereck (12) und ein
Viereck (17) und dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass es mindestens einen Hebel (6) (1) aufweist mit einem Ende, das gelenkig an der Verbindung
(2') angebracht ist, die auch den Kopfstützenrahmen (2) mit dem benachbarten Rahmen
(3) verbindet, während das andere Hebelende direkt gelenkig an der festen Struktur
(7) oder jedem beliebigen Element, dass an der festen Struktur (7) befestigt ist,
angebracht ist.
2. Mechanismus nach Patentanspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass ein erstes nachgiebiges Fixiermittel zwischen dem Hebel (6) und dem Hebel (1) eingefügt
ist, während zwischen dem Hebel (1) und der festen Struktur (7) ein zweites nachgiebiges
Fixiermittel eingefügt ist.
3. Mechanismus nach Patentanspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das nachgiebige Fixiermittel auch, mit den Elementen (6), (2) und (7) verknüpft,
auf den Elementen positioniert sein kann.
4. Mechanismus nach Patentanspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Viereck (16) einen Hebel mit 5 Löchern (6) umfasst, der gelenkig an den Hebeln
(8) und (9) angebracht ist und eine Drehtranslationsbewegung aufweist.
5. Mechanismus nach Patentanspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Viereck (16) einen Hebel mit 4 Löchern (6) umfasst, der direkt gelenkig an der
festen Struktur (7) angebracht ist mit Rotationsbewegung um einen Punkt, der in Bezug
auf die feste Struktur (7) befestigt ist.
6. Mechanismus nach mindestens einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Viereck (17) das Gleitsystem der Sitzkissen (21) bewegt.
7. Mechanismus nach Patentanspruch 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sich das Viereck (17) zum Kissen (21) mit nur zwei weiteren Elementen (4) und (5)
bewegt.
8. Mechanismus nach Patentanspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Hebel (4) mindestens drei Löcher aufweist, wobei in einem ein Rahmen, auf welchem
die Sitzkissen (21) angeordnet sind, gelenkig angebracht ist.
9. Sofabett, umfassend eine Rahmenstruktur, die nahezu die Form eines Parallelflachs
aufweist, eine Anzahl beweglicher Rahmen, die zusammengefasst sind, welche sich mit
Drehtranslationsbewegungen von der geschlossenen zur offenen Position bewegen, wobei
in der geschlossenen Position die Rahmen folgerichtig zusammengelegt sind, während
sie in der offenen Position nacheinander ausgerichtet sind, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass es einen Mechanismus nach mindestens einem der vorherigen Ansprüche verwendet wird.
1. Mécanisme de canapé-lit et de produits similaires, comprenant une pluralité de quadrilatères
articulés et d'outils de synchronisation, en particulier, comprenant un quadrilatère
(16), un quadrilatère (12) et un quadrilatère (17) et caractérisé par le fait qu'il comprend au moins un levier (1) ayant une extrémité articulée sur la jointure (2'),
qui connecte également le châssis d'appui-tête (2) au châssis adjacent (3), alors
que l'autre extrémité de levier est directement articulée sur la structure fixe (7)
ou n'importe quel élément fixé sur ladite structure fixe (7).
2. Mécanisme selon la revendication 1, caractérisé par le fait qu'un premier moyen élastique de rétention est interposé entre le levier (6) et le levier
(1), alors qu'un second moyen élastique de rétention est interposé entre le levier
(1) et la structure fixe (7).
3. Mécanisme selon la revendication 2, caractérisé par le fait que lesdits moyens élastiques peuvent également être positionnés sur les éléments liés
aux éléments (6), (2) et (7).
4. Mécanisme selon la revendication 3, caractérisé par le fait que ledit quadrilatère (16) comprend un levier à cinq trous (6), articulé sur les leviers
(8) et (9) et doté d'un mouvement roto translatif.
5. Mécanisme selon la revendication 3, caractérisé par le fait que ledit quadrilatère (16) comprend un levier à quatre trous (6), articulé sur la structure
fixe (7), avec un mouvement rotatif autour d'un point fixé par rapport à la structure
fixe (7).
6. Mécanisme selon au moins l'une des revendications 1 à 5, caractérisé par le fait que ledit quadrilatère (17) déplace le système de glissement des coussins de siège (21).
7. Mécanisme selon la revendication 6, caractérisé par le fait que ledit quadrilatère (17) déplace le coussin de siège (21) au moyen d'uniquement deux
éléments supplémentaires (4) et (5).
8. Mécanisme selon la revendication 7, caractérisé par le fait que ledit levier (4) a au moins trois trous, l'un d'entre eux servant de charnière à
un châssis, sur lequel sont placés les coussins de siège (21).
9. Canapé-lit comprenant une structure de châssis en forme de parallélépipède, une pluralité
de châssis déplaçables liés ensemble qui se déplacent selon des mouvements roto translatifs
de la position fermée à la position ouverte, dans lequel dans la position fermée lesdits
châssis sont séquentiellement repliés alors que dans la position ouverte ils sont
consécutivement alignés, caractérisé en ce qu'il utilise un mécanisme selon au moins l'une des revendications précédentes.